A reader tipped us off the other day about two new buildings that they noticed on the 3800 block of Haverford Avenue. As you can imagine, our gut reaction was that a couple of new student housing units were joining the fray on the southern end of Mantua. But for a change, our gut reaction was way off base.

In the past

Recent shot

We’ve covered the efforts of People’s Emergency Center in West Philly several times before, notably regarding their efforts to renovate the awesome but blighted Hawthorne Hall on Lancaster Avenue. But it seems that PEC doesn’t just fix up old buildings. In addition, they provide emergency housing to individuals, notably homeless women and children. Some of that housing comes in the form of renovated properties, like this one at 3909 Haverford Ave., where units are available to anyone who meets the income guidelines.

Another PEC property

The two homes pictured at the top of this post are triplexes built by PEC from the ground up. They will be offered for rent to low-income families with children with disabilities, and should be completed sometime next month. While it’s good to see these vacant lots filled in, it’s especially good to see something other than student housing rising in this area. Not that student housing is such a bad thing, goodness no. But a mix of different residential uses in the neighborhood is certainly preferred to help maintain a balanced and diverse neighborhood.